Over Ireland, the moon's disc will first encounter that of the sun about 9.30 a.m. It will take about 90 minutes for the moon to reach the point where it fits most neatly over the sun, at 11 a.m. Maximum lunar coverage of the sun over Ireland will be 95 per cent.
The eclipse can be viewed live on The Irish Times web site from 10.30 a.m. at www.ireland.com/special/eclipse RTE One TV will broadcast a news bulletin at 10.40 a.m., fol lowed by live coverage of the eclipse. UTV will interrupt a film about 11.10 a.m. to cover the eclipse, while Channel 4's coverage gets under way 20 minutes earlier at 10.50 a.m. BBC1's coverage starts at 9.45 a.m.
In Belfast's Botanic Gardens, telescopes and pin-hole cameras for public viewing will be provided by the Irish Astronomical Association from 9.45 a.m.
